New beginnings
by Ducks-eat-monkeyz
Summary: Itachi gets a second chance at life, and love. ::After finding out about Itachi being put under the reincarnation jutsu, Miyuki, a half-demon, and Itachi's young lover, seeks to rescue him, and succeeds, bringing him back. But there is always a catch when it comes to bringing someone back to life- Will they ever really be together?
1. Enter: Miyuki Uganowa

Point of reference to chapter beginning:

::Itachi, breaking the reincarnation jutsu, and having said his good byes to his brother, is about to be pulled away from his reincarnation form::

" _There are more reasonable means to do this, Itachi. Konoha needs more men like you, not less." Her heart ached in that moment, knowing that she would never see him again. Miyuki's brown hair blew in the wind, her blue eyes to the brim with the sting of tears. She could feel herself swelling up inside, that sensation you get when you know you're about to cry. She had stifled them back so far, but she knew it wouldn't be long._

" _Miyuki, it is done." Itachi sheathed his sword, his gaze following her hand as it wiped away her tears. He hated this. knowing he was going to hurt one more person in his life._

" _I don't understand why they are doing this. It's not fair that you have to leave because of this. I can make this right." She could feel the fire burning in the pit of her stomach, fighting back the emotional overload. She could feel her other half bubbling to the surface._

" _There is nothing more to talk about." Itachi watched as her eye shifted, her emotions getting the better of her. Her pupils dilated, becoming black as her tattoo marks slowly rose from her skin. He walked up to her, his hand reaching towards her, pulling her to his chest. She gulped down the lump in her throat, her fingers gripping his collar. "I'll be so lost if you leave me alone." He could only hold her tighter, his eyes focusing on the top of her head. Another person he was going to hurt._

 _He pressed his lips against the top of her head, his embrace tightening._ _"Please watch Sasuke. I'm sorry."_ _His forehead touched against hers, her eyes manipulating back to their blue hues._

 _Itachi let go of her slowly_ _, backing away. He heard her feet slowly shuffle forward, her head hanging lowly as his body tensed. He knew that he needed to leave. He would regret every moment he stayed longer. He couldn't let her suffer anymore than she already was._

 _Miyuki fell to the ground, tears overwhelming her as she felt her heart break. "PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME!" She screamed, tears overcoming her as she watched the place where he stood become empty._

Present~

The aura of white had engulfed Itachi's body.

 _This is it. This is the end of the line for me._

Itachi let out one last breath, lifting his head towards the sky as he closed his eyes. He could feel the life leaving his body.

The glow was disrupted as a hand appeared in midair, claws outstretched. He watched as it invaded his body, going through the thick of his coat and skin. He could feel the cold sensation it gave when it reached his heart. He watched as the sky ripped where the hand had come out, arm and shoulder coming into view as something emerged. He stared at the violet-tinted skin, realization reaching across his mind. It couldn't possibly be her.

He stared down to his chest, feeling his body start to tingle, chakra forming inside of his heart, then running through his body. He looked at the Konoha headband that covered the side of her head, her hair growing, coming into a deep purple as she emerged from the vortex. Her face had morphed, her forehead getting ripped open by the horns slowly emerging from beneath her skin, fangs extending out of her mouth. He watched as her eyes narrowed, brows furrowed as she concentrated on her hand. Each moment that passed turned her more into the devil form of herself, her pupils turning to slits as she concentrated even more chakra into him. The jagged tattoo that marked her face darkened, quickly moving up her eyebrows, then onto her forehead. The white of her eyes had become a deep red, iris completely blacked out. Itachi lifted his arm, grabbing hers as it started to pull out of his chest. He could feel the chakra flow reaching his head, sharingan activating when he touched her. His mind was engulfed by her memories, watching her life unfold before him. He watched as a three-year-old Miyuki slaughtered a village, her mind completely overtaken by the demon inside of her.

"Release" she whispered, her hand pressing against his chest as a shock was sent through his body, reactivating his heart. She wrapped her arm around his neck, her forehead moving away from his as he slowly fell to the ground, using her body's weight to keep him from crashing. She moved to the side of him, letting his head down slowly onto the ground. He watched her teleport away, the white aura around Itachi stopping abruptly. His eyes formed back to their regular state; the black of his eyes turning once more to white. He could feel his body regenerating to its original self.

Sasuke stared at the two, unsure of what he should do. This demon had appeared out of midair, lodging it's claw into his brother's body. "What did you do?" Sasuke moved to help Itachi, keeping a wary eye on the thing. Had it really brought his brother back from death? There was no way this was possible. He had only known about this happening to Gaara, but even then, the person who did it had passed away. He hesitated as the demon appeared next to him; Blackened eyes looking from him to Itachi. Sasuke felt his body shift away from it, an unrecognizable reaction by him. He was used to seeing monsters, but this thing was something he had never encountered. The skin was violet, with bumps across it's chest. It's eyes were pure black, not even a hint of an iris in them. It's hair had grown to the length of it's body, covering the face, only the glint of fangs showing beneath. Horns were symmetrically placed on both sides of it's forehead, jagged black tattoos covering the body. It's skin looked thick and coarse, claws extending at least three inches from their fingers. Even his own curse mark form couldn't compare to this demonic form. He could feel the chakra emanating from it's body, more powerful than any he had felt- Even when he had witnessed Naruto's nine-tails. This was something Sasuke would never have a chance against, even with his prowess and ability.

"Sasuke"

Sasuke's eyes widened, realizing the voice behind that demon. "Miyuki?" He watched her turn her head, concentrating on Itachi.

"Mhmn." she peered over at him with one eye, and it switched back to her human form for a moment, blue eyes gazing at him. Those were definitely Miyuki's eyes. How had she gone this long without him feeling that power? Had she been that good at hiding her true power? She let her form fade, fangs and claws retracting, eyes manipulating back to blue. Her skin became white, tattoo sinking back into her skin as her claws retracted from her fingers. Her hair shortened, becoming brown once more.

"He will need to rest." She could feel the blood forming in her mouth from the chakra exertion, and spit it out behind her. She had used way too much for this. Mesame had warned her that the possibility existed of him being able to take in her memories, but she didn't think it would be an issue. Would he have a different opinion of her if they were? Itachi had always been so passive that she wasn't sure how his reaction would be to something like that. Her darkest memories could be trapped in his mind as well. She couldn't stop them, or extract them. He would be able to see everything. She could feel her hand clenching into a fist. Had Mesame been right? Did she make a bad decision? She could feel the demon seeping into her mind, her hand flexing outward when her claws extended out. She knelt down beside him, watching Sasuke's expression become more confused than anything else.

Itachi reached his hand out, fingers falling into hers, squeezing it softly. She started to let go, only to be stopped when he tightened his grasp. He could feel her hesitation to stay next to him. She was going to leave him. "Please don't leave me." Itachi whispered, his sharingan eyes staring into hers. She froze for a moment; her memories falling to the day he left. She could feel the shock and chill in her bones, her eyes closing as she breathed out. She couldn't stay-not now. She watched as he struggled to lift himself on his knees. He breathed deeply, staring at her as he bent over and grimaced. His body wasn't ready yet, he felt weaker than he had ever been. Miyuki knelt down in front of him, her fingers pulling his chin up so he could see her. She watched as one of his eyes closed, his arm reaching up, fingers together as he slowly moved his hand to her face. Her eyes closed as his hand touched her cheeks cupping her face. She closed her eyes, placing her hand on top of his as she opened her eyes, giving him a forced smile. "I'll make this right." Miyuki took his hand, moving it to the side as she leaned toward him. She pressed her lips against his before her body disbursed into the air.

 _"Please don't, Itachi."_

Miyuki sat in the Ramen shop, drinking her tea quietly as she watched everyone around her. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, headband turned to the side of her head, hidden leaf symbol etched into it. Her outfit was mainly fishnet, covered with a black jacket and skirt. It had been a year since she had revived Itachi. She could always feel him pulling at the back of her mind. He had figured out that he could communicate with her telepathically; A side effect of giving away part of your soul to someone. She had mistakenly answered once. She had thought it was her thinking about him, but it turned out he was trying to get through to her.

 _"Why won't you answer me?"_

Miyuki could feel the sensation in her mind as his voice rang; It was more torture to hear him than anything. He would constantly try to get her to talk to him, and he was stubborn about it. She stayed silent mentally, her eyes closing as she breathed an exasperated sigh.

 _"Miyuki."_ She could feel the frustration in him.

Her heart fell, her lips pursed as he spoke her name again to her.

 _"I can feel you ignoring me."_

She set down her tea, her eyes closing as she listened to him.

 _"I told you to stop following me."_

 _"I was never good at listening to you, Miyuki. Why can't you tell me why?"_

 _"Because it isn't your problem, Itachi."_ She broke the connection soon after, but he could feel her longing for him.

Itachi's eyes opened, staring down to the village as she broke the connection once more. Whenever he made a connection to her, he could feel her chakra resonate if she had been in the village- which was extremely unhelpful in the case of her trying to avoid him. His connection to her would grow stronger whenever he got closer to her physical body. He could smell the restaurants around her this time, the breeze against her skin. He pulled one foot towards him, bending his knee it to rest his arm as he stared out to the village below. She was there, somewhere. He could _feel_ her.

He looked up to the sound of an eagle's cry, watching a brown eagle circle above him.

"Brother."

Itachi could feel a smirk pass his lips, staring down at the village as Sasuke stood next to him, wind blowing their hair from their faces. He looked over to his younger brother, donning a black cloak over his shoulders, hairstyle different from their last encounter. His bangs had been adjusted to cover his rasengan eye, now.. "She's there. I know she is."

Sasuke rested a hand on Itachi's shoulder, sighing. "I feel like you've said that before." Sasuke chuckled softly, scratching the back of his neck. "Ah, well, this beats wandering around, I guess." Sasuke had gotten a message from Itachi for help in looking for her a while ago. After asking around, he had heard about a woman with Miyuki's description being in this village. "It's been years. Don't you think she would have come to you by now?" He patted his brother's shoulder, letting go as Itachi stood up.

"I seem to recall a yellow-haired boy who would disagree with that outlook." He could hear Sasuke scoff, but he could tell her had gotten his point across. "I've made many mistakes before, Sasuke. I won't make her another one. I know that she doesn't want it to end this way. She thinks that she will hurt me, which is understandable, I guess. I just don't see things the same as her." His hand reached to the side of his head, pushing his bangs out of his face as he activated his sharingan.

"Not again, Nyuka." She grunted, blue eyes looking over to him.

"When will you be with me? It's been years. You're 23 now, it's time to settle and have children. Who better to settle with than me?" His eyes flashed a smile, dark brown hair cut to that of the famous Copy ninja. He wore a kimono today, dark blue in color and open partially in the front, accenting the ridges of his muscles and chest. His eyes were green, like leaves in the start of spring. He had his sword swung over his shoulder nonchalantly as he placed on hand on his opposing hip.

"We have been over this the past, what, Three years? I'm not interested?" she set down her mug, looking over at him as he slid into the booth across from her.

"C'mon. We had a great time a couple years ago."

He wasn't wrong. They had a fling a few years prior, but she only had one person she really wanted to be with. She had separated herself from Itachi as much as she possibly could. After everything that had happened to him, he deserved a normal life. He had come too close a few times to finding where she was. It was hard to argue with an Uchiha when their mind was made up. She knew they would encounter each other eventually. She had been working hard to not have that moment come soon. She wasn't ready to see him; no, she was terrified of seeing him. Her emotions had always gotten the better of her around him. She closed her eyes, hearing Nyuka's words, but paying no real mind to them as she thought back to her past. The touch of his lips always haunted her. The feel of his hands around her. She had to shake off the sensation, the hair on the back of her neck raising.

"You know that I'm not even here enough for you to even say that. I drop in every other month, maybe." She waved her hand, as if it dismissed what he said. "Find a woman who will stay with you. I am definitely not that woman." She stood up from her seat, then lifted the flap to the entrance, leaving him.

Would she ever really see him again? She had all of this feeling inside of her for this one man.

 _Maybe_ she would see Itachi again. She had hidden herself from everyone she knew. She had covered any tracks she made, making sure she couldn't be found. _Maybe_ she would find a way to fix herself.

 _I will find you_

Those sharingan eyes engulfed her mind again. She had wished to be fully human her entire life. Saving Itachi was the one reason that she didn't regret what she was. If she had been human, there would have been no way she could bring him back.

"Miyuki."

Miyuki stopped in her tracks.

 _That voice_...

She looked to her left, staring at Raven hair and the eyes of the younger brother Uchiha.

"Sasuke?"

Well, there is chapter number one. I hope you like it. Please note that some chapters between are going to be flashbacks, which will be identified with ***

.I like to keep memories and story line as separate chapters, so people can get a backstory for the character's relationship. You'll also notice Itachi becomes more of a regular person, having flaws and feelings. :)

I don't own any image or Naruto rights, either. :(


	2. First encounters

_Miyuki jumped down from the tree, landing in front of the building as she sighed, walking towards the door. They had received word of a missing nin in the Village Hidden in the Mist. It ended up just being an ambush by some rogue ninjas, which was taken care of quickly. She had just joined ANBU a week ago, getting placed in team Uchiha. It wasn't a bad team to be on. Itachi was intelligent and calculating. They were never put into situations that weren't something they could handle. Miyuki hadn't realized how capable he was. She had only heard rumors about the youngest ANBU member. She never really encountered him outside of ANBU, and even then, they only talked in passing. She always had some small inkling of his interest in her, but she would never act on it. She was outgoing, but not that much._

 _She removed her ANBU mask as she walked inside, stepping out of the way of the door. She looked around as the rest of the ninja started to walk in, some trying to shake off the rain. Miyuki walked over to the seats next to the door, dropping her bag on the chair and opening it. She stared up to the high ceilings, sighing once more as she rubbed the back of her neck. "I really hope we don't have more missions. It will be incredibly disappointing to have to do this again." She turned her neck, hearing the bones crack. She just wanted a massage at this point._

 _She could also use a couple days off. There had been an increase in activity in the area, and between getting orders barked around by Itachi, and having to keep her chakra hidden, it was exhausting. "Are you okay, Miyuki?" Aruki yelled, walking towards her. Aruki had been her friend for a few years now. They had met when she first came to Konoha. He was her first friend here. She watched him pull off his mask, grabbing his bag from his back as he shoved it in. Miyuki had been surprised when he became ANBU. He was a kindred spirit in her eyes. She assumed it was because his medical nin skills were exponential._

 _He rubbed the back of his neck as Miyuki looked at him. She always looked at people like that. She was such as hard person to read, but he grew fonder of her every time he saw her. She always had this strange presence around her, like she had this big secret. "Do you want the bad news or the bad news?" Aruki laughed jokingly, and watched Miyuki sigh at him, one eyebrow raising inquisitively._

" _Another assignment?"_

" _Yep!" Aruki laughed nervously, "Itachi should be here shortly, act-" As if on cue, Itachi had arrived, looking around at everyone._

" _There is a small group that has been spotted- We will need to investigate. Everyone, meet at the gates in three hours." He dismissed the group, pulling his mask from the side of his face, then holding it. Itachi's gaze had fallen on Miyuki, who had currently been in conversation with Aruki. For some reason, her presence made him feel different. He once thought that he had feelings for Izumi, of the Uchiha, but Miyuki had brought out much stronger emotions. Her skills were exceptional as well, mainly in Taijutsu. He never would have thought he would become her lead on ANBU. He took his sword off his back, and could feel his body wanting to look at her again. She had taken her hair down, her hands running through it to adjust it back into its high ponytail. He had sometimes wished he could talk to her like Aruki. He watched as they talked casually, Aruki's hands waving wildly. Itachi had never really had a place with women. Izumi was a good friend to talk to, and he knew she had feelings for him. He just hadn't felt the same as her. She just hadn't captured Itachi's attention like Miyuki. There was something within her that he couldn't grasp. Every time he encountered her outside of ANBU, he just became completely hopeless. He couldn't figure anything to say, mainly because he didn't want to say the wrong thing. He could sometimes see the defeat in her eyes when she tried to bring up conversation. Itachi could feel his brows furrow in frustration, trying to sort through the thoughts in his mind- but froze when Miyuki met his gaze. Itachi was generally level-headed, but he was unsure what to do when she took her hand off her bag, walking towards him._

 _Was he really frozen right now? He watched the look of confusion overcome Aruki as she walked away, "See you later then!" Aruki yelled, Miyuki waving him away as she walked towards Itachi. She stopped short of him, her arms folding in front of her chest._

" _Well?"_

 _Itachi was thrown off by the response. She had put her hands behind her back, interlocking her fingers._

" _Sorry?"_

" _I assumed you needed something, since you were staring at me." She replied, looking over at him._

 _Itachi stood there for a moment, his mind racking to what he could give an excuse of. "Oh, I uh-" Itachi rubbed the back of his neck, feeling the pressure of this conversation. He watched Miyuki sigh, her head shaking as she took his hand into hers, pulling him towards the doors. He could feel his heartbeat quicken for a moment. Miyuki looked back at him, nodding toward the door. "Fine, buy me some dumplings, then."_

 _Itachi stared from his hand in hers, to her. "What?" He did love dumplings, though._

" _I'm assuming you're hungry, right? Food pills can only do so much." She could see how awkward he felt in that moment, getting caught staring at her. She could feel her heartbeat quickening as his grip tightened, even if only for a second. She smiled at him, almost reassuringly._

" _Oh, well, I-uh. Yeah. we can do that." he walked with her, more confused than anything. He was staring at her two minutes ago, but now they were going to get dumplings? He had told his father he would be home for dinner-He would probably never hear the end of ditching. Father was always very adamant about following through._

" _why don't you talk more?"_

 _Itachi and Miyuki had taken a walk with their dumplings, stopping at the lake. He watched her as she walked ahead of him, her hands crossed behind her back. Itachi was thrown off by the question, staring at her back as he ate one of the dumplings off the stick. He pulled the stick away from his mouth, struggling to swallow for a moment. "I wasn't aware that was an issue." he replied, his gaze diverting from her to the dumplings._

" _not an issue, no." she turned her head to him, smiling. "Whenever I talk to people, it's always this mundane nonsense. I've never really had an actual conversation. Like the weather, or weekend plans. You know?" Miyuki turned to the stairs of the dock, walking down them as Itachi followed. "You're different, though. You talk about actual..." Miyuki paused for a moment, looking for the right words, but only felt herself sigh. "I guess that sounds dumb, huh? I just don't think the way all of the girls in our age group do, I guess."_

 _Did he really come off this introverted? "It isn't wrong to look at the bigger picture, Miyuki." He stared at the dumplings, thinking for a moment. "I mean, it does get difficult to have relationships when you're in your head, but we're shinobi. If we don't have that edge, we could very well die in battle much faster." he watched her shoulders lift into a shrug, kicking a stray rock from the dock as she reached the edge._

 _Why did he have to be so analytical? He didn't have friends just minor acquaintances, well, and Shisui. He watched her sit down at the edge of the dock, looking back at him. He couldn't help but feel uneasy whenever she looked at him. It was like every fiber of his being was moved by her stare. There was something in those eyes that drew him more into her. He could feel his cheeks growing warm, sitting down quickly and covering his face with his hair. Why did she make him feel this way? He could hear her talking to him, but when he looked over at her, he couldn't help but stare. She had looked up to the night sky, her eyes closed halfway as her hair fell behind her head. He could see the inquisition in her mind- as if thinking about something. He watched her, his heart leaping when she turned her head, looking over at him with the faintest, but most bewildering smile on her lips._

" _isn't life so weird?"_

" _Huh?" Itachi stared at her quizzically, her eyebrows furrowing slightly as she laid her back on the dock, feet dangling over the edge. She lifted one hand into the air, covering the moon with her thumb. "I just think it's crazy. We train so hard to be able to kill efficiently. We do it for reasons we don't know, to defend people we have never met. Life and death and so difficult to understand. I envy the people who stay here, tending to the village and living normal lives." Miyuki closed her eyes, her hand lowering next to her. "it must be nice, you know? Waking up and only having to worry about washing clothes. They're completely oblivious to the fact they are only alive because we're willing to put our lives on the line for them." Miyuki could feel her breath escape her, sucking in air as she felt a hand touch against her cheek. She opened her eyes, Itachi's eyes looking down at her. She gasped, her cheeks becoming flushed as his head lowered, his lips lingering above hers._

 _He didn't know what had come over him. He couldn't believe that he was at this point. He knew that he had feelings for her, and she had been so easy to talk to once he had gotten through his initial phase of complete awkwardness. She was so inquisitive, questioning things exactly as he did. He didn't know anyone else that shared his ideas and understandings. Then again, no one really tried to. His intelligence made everyone dismissive of him more easily. He was essentially an outcast in the social perception. Overachieving. His father was so focused on him being the 'pride of the Uchiha' that he never bothered to know the real him. Shisui was really the only friend that he had. He could feel the urge swell up in his chest when she talked to him, but he didn't think his body would react this quickly. He was always calculating, but, for some reason, she changed that. He stared down at her, blue eyes holding steady as his cheeks became flushed with red. His heartbeat quickened as they gazed into each other's eyes, hers becoming soft, half-closed as she let a smile pass her lips. His eyes widened when her lips had pressed against his. He could feel his entire body tense up, his hand moving through her hair as he lifted her head, his lips pressing deeper into hers. It felt so surreal- like the earth had stopped in that moment. All the thoughts he had were pulled away from his mind, the tasks he needed to do were forsaken. He could feel his heartbeat increase excitedly, the sensation of butterflies filling his stomach as her breath tickled his lips, her hand resting on his chest. He pulled his head back slowly, his eyes opening as she sat up, turning her face to the side, out of his view. He could see the faint red in her cheeks, her fingers passively sliding over her lips, where his had been moments before. The world became silent in that moment- neither the howling wind, nor the rustle of trees breaking it. the pier's light turned on, signaling the fall of night for Konoha. He looked to Miyuki, his hand starting to lift as he went to reach out to her- but he stopped, the wind moving her hair away from her face, showing red pupils. He could feel himself gasp, her eyes closing, then reopening to blue as she stood up quickly, her body turning away. "I have to go," she said quietly, her eyes closing as she stood up running towards the stairs of the pier._

" _Miyuki?" He reached out the grab her hand, but felt it slip away as she started to leave, "Wait!" Itachi yelled, unsure of what just happened. Did she change her mind? What had just happened?_

" _Uzani, can you hear me?" Miyuki said into the mic around her neck, crouching low in the brush. She looked over at Itachi, who had his ANBU mask on, his focus on the three sound ninja below them. She heard the crackle in her ear, then a low voice responding. "There are three more about 5 kilometers west. Do we know why they are here?"_

 _Miyuki looked over to Itachi, who only responded with a slow head shake. He always became incredibly silent when thinking. "Negative." She could barely look at him, her mind wandering to the kiss they had shared hours before. She had kept her mask on when she got to the gates, somewhat avoiding being near him. It was so stupid of her to kiss him like that. She should have known better. She could feel her fist ball tightly, staring down to the shinobi below her. Had he seen her eyes? She peered over to him silently, watching as he stayed crouched, knuckles white against the branch he was on. Did she just ruin everything about them?_

 _Itachi pressed the mic button on his neck. "Miyuki will go in first... Aruki, stay where you are for now. Uzani and Ghanta can follow behind._

 _Itachi stared the three nin, sharingan activated. He looked over to Miyuki, who's ANBU mask outlined the shape of a turtle on it, shell a spiral on the side of the mask. He couldn't focus tonight. His thoughts strayed to hours before, her kiss still lingering on his lips now. He didn't expect her to avoid him after. He wasn't sure what he had done. Did she regret kissing him completely? What an Idiot. The one time He did something without regards, and she runs off into the night. It was confusing. Could it have been because of her eyes? No, he was sure that her eyes had been a trick of the light. He watched as she looked over to him, nodding before her body disappeared. Stay focused, Itachi. You're on a mission. She had leapt forward, pulling three shuriken from her pouch, then quickly releasing them towards the men. They connected against the men's heads, their bodies dropping on the ground as she landed in the middle of them._

" _Nice, Miyuki." Aruki said into the mic, more excited than anything. Itachi's eyes narrowed, leaping from the branch towards Miyuki. She had leapt away from two of the shuriken that had been thrown at her, but the third had been in the shadows of one. She watched Itachi throw a shuriken, connecting against the other as he landed. The shuriken made a sharp metallic clanking sound, both falling to the ground after._

 _Miyuki landed softly, "Thanks". Itachi nodded, his focus going back to the direction the attack came from. "probably should have seen that"_

 _Itachi went to respond, but was stopped when he had to leap away, another shuriken coming towards him-No, towards Miyuki. His eyes narrowed, his shuriken clashing with another again._

" _Miyuki!" Itachi yelled, watching her leap away as a ninja appeared to her right, fist clenched and reeled to hit her. She lifted her leg, foot connecting to his face in a high kick. He stumbled back for a moment, but regained his composure and lunged forward. Miyuki backflipped, landing on the ground, then taking off once more, her fist balling and landing against the ninja's face. She heard it grunt, then a pop sound rang as Miyuki shifted her weight onto one foot, her body contorting into a side kick as another appeared to her right side. She sent it into a tree, another popping sound heard as she ducked away from another's sword._

 _There's the real one._

 _Itachi ducked, sword crashing down next to him as he sidestepped away. The ninja grunted, his hands meeting to form a hand sign. Itachi formed hand signs, his fingers moving to his mouth as he yelled, "_ _Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu_ _!" as a steady stream of fire appeared from his mouth, then formed into a ball of fire as the ninja jumped away to avoid it. Itachi lifted an eyebrow at the man, watching him avoid his fire technique, making hand signs as he moved away from Itachi. Itachi's eyes followed them, then moved to the side as shards of compressed air hurdled towards him. He glanced over at Miyuki, who had become busy with two separate ninjas. She looked more confused than anything, but her body didn't show signs of stress or tire. He moved his head to the right, avoiding a ninja's fist as Miyuki jumped against the branch of a tree, propelling herself forwards to land a kick in one ninja's chest. He had originally held back to make sure his theory was correct- They were after Miyuki. Now that he knew, he could act accordingly. He wasn't sure what their motive was, but they had one._

" _Oh, that was very nice! You should try again!" Aruki stumbled out of a nearby bush, blades of grass being cut as shuriken followed him. He shifted his body, watching as a rip appeared in the arm of his jacket. He stood up, grinning as his mask fell off his face. Aruki was never good at figuring out his opponent. He had more of the "Just attack and see what happens" mantra to fighting. It was a mantra that always ended with her saving his butt, since he got into a lot of fights in school when his temper got the better of him. He could bark loudly, but his bite wasn't anything to be impressed with._

 _She looked over at him, just in time to find that a ninja had started to advance on him from behind, shuriken at the ready in one hand. She leapt over to him, her back facing away from Aruki as she blocked the enemy's shuriken, her hand building chakra as she threw it into the ninja's chest, his body being thrown away from the two. Aruki turned to look at her, giving her a thankful nod._

" _Please be careful." She said, annoyance hunting in her voice as she ducked away from a set of shuriken. She lunged forward, her knee folding as it connected to the ninja's jaw. She could hear Aruki give her a frustrated grunt as he followed another ninja into the bush. Her eyes narrowed, forming hand signs as she faced toward the ninja. She stepped back, her hand lifting as she compressed the air around the ninja. The ninja stopped in his tracks, his eyes widening. Miyuki walked towards him, "You can feel it, can't you? The air in your lungs? Getting heavier? It's a nice little trick I learned." She placed one hand on the ninja's chest, her eye narrowing as she pressed into it. He coughed, blood forming in his mouth as his body trembled. The air in his body became solid, his blood clotting as his eyes became bloodshot. Itachi pulled his kunai from a ninja, watching Miyuki. She could manipulate nature to another form- that was interesting._

 _The ninja fell to the ground, his body landing with a hard thud as she teleported away, appearing behind Itachi, her back to his. "Are you okay?" She asked, her hand reaching back to grab a shuriken and throwing it into the bushes, connecting with another ninja. He nodded briefly, his sword connecting with the chest of another, looking back to her. "I don't want to alarm you, Miyuki, but it would seem like these ninjas have been going after you." Miyuki blinked, looking around. He was right- She had gotten the brunt of these attacks. "You may be correct." She pressed the button on her mic, "Aruki, do you copy?"_

 _Radio silence. Miyuki pressed the button harder, as if it would help her reach him, "Aruki. Answer me." She could feel her blood start to boil, and Itachi was surprised when she completely disappeared from his vision. He sheathed his sword, turning to where she had just been. How had She teleported without a teleportation jutsu? He followed her chakra, unsure if he felt the shift that it seemed to make when she realized what had likely happened._

" _Team. Check in." He said, his eyes narrowing as he watched Miyuki place her foot on the ground, leaping over a bush as she searched for the other group._

 _Itachi couldn't feel anyone's chakra, either. Had they distracted the two of them to take out the others? Did Itachi just fall for a trap? Was he so careless because he was trying to protect her? Itachi stopped abruptly, watching Miyuki dodge a Kunai knife that had been thrown at her._

" _How Inconvenient the Uchiha is here."_

" _What is this?" Itachi asked, looking from Miyuki to Aruki. She looked just as confused, her hand lifting as Aruki tried to slam his fist into her chest. She had blocked it with her own hand, her hand clenching his arm as she rotated her body, her arm locking his elbow into place as she threw him above her head; into the tree behind her. She had never had Aruki land a blow at her, but this time he came seriously close- this wasn't normal._

" _Who are you?" She grunted, her hand dropping to her side as she caught her breath._

" _Ah, you're so much stronger now. I knew I would find you eventually."_

" _Find me?" Confusion crossed her mind for a moment, but faded slowly. The chakra that engulfed Aruki wasn't his anymore. Her eyes widened when she realized the chakra that had been hidden beneath. She watched as his face started to crumble, his skin pale as the moon, purple markings showing around his eyes._

" _You!" Miyuki grunted, her hand balling into a fist as she stared at him. She had seen him before. He had tried to capture her when she was five. If it hadn't been for her devil form, he might have taken her. "What did you do with Aruki?"_

 _Orochimaru's eyes narrowed, looking from her to Itachi. "The same as the rest of your team" Orochimaru's eyes narrowed, his arms swaying as his excitement grew. "You got away before, but not this time. "He peered at her shoulder's exposed skin, clicking his tongue. "You got rid of the curse mark. That's very disappointing of you." he watched as she touched her shoulder absently._

" _It's a fool's mark. I don't need it," Her chakra was concentrated to her right hand, forming a sword-like shape, "especially not to get rid of you." She felt Itachi move next to her, and peered over to him. His sharingan reflecting back at her, "Do you want to explain what is happening right now?" Itachi asked, his hand moving to the pouch on his hip. What had she done that Orochimaru was coming after her? He looked over to her, confused at the change in her chakra, becoming more ominous. He glanced over to her, letting out a soft gasp as her eyes changed, red pupils appearing in place of her blue ones. He hadn't been seeing things earlier- those eyes were real. He felt her hand press against his shoulder, and confusion washed over him when he realized he wasn't next to her anymore. He stared into an open field, his head pounding as his vision adjusted to the sight around him. Is this genjutsu? No, it isn't. He would have detected it before she could do it. Teleportation? There was no way she could have transported Itachi away from her and Orochimaru. That would take skill that even Minato didn't quite possess. She hadn't tagged any place, nor did she tag him._

 _He looked up, hearing a booming sound before trees were knocked over in the distance. He leapt toward the forest, following the dust cloud that formed in the sky. That had to be her there. Was she alive? Had Orochimaru gotten rid of her already? Itachi took two branches at a time, feeling the need to get there sooner._

 _Miyuki's hand dropped as Itachi disappeared, her gaze moving to Orochimaru. She watched him lick his lips, his eyes narrowing as she looked at him, "All that power you possess. I want it. I want you to be my next vessel." He grinned, his arms starting to stretch forward, towards her._

" _You killed him? He had nothing to do with this." She could feel her anger rising; bubbling over. Her fists clenched even more, her seal loosening._

" _I thought it might help you come out of your shell. It's too bad you got rid of the curse mark. I could have just made you." A grin played on Orochimaru's face as her chakra became ominous, her hair lengthening as he watched. He laughed, maniacally. Orochimaru had researched for so long to find information on her true form. He could use this in his quest to live forever. He would be unstoppable._

 _Yes, get mad. Get angry. Let me see it. Orochimaru licked his lips, watching her eyes fade from blue, black iris' replacing them. He had backed away when he felt her chakra change, he watched her nails extend to claws, her mouth forming into a grimace as her fangs become fully extended, her eyebrows furrowed, staring at Orochimaru with resentment._

" _I'm going to kill you." She sputtered, her skin forming to a violet tint, jagged tattoo marks surfacing from below her skin, horns protruding from her head as she walked towards him. The ground broke below her; eyes becoming solid black. Her fist reeled back, and her chakra formed around it as she threw it forward. Orochimaru started to move, but he wasn't quick enough. Miyuki appeared next to him, her fist connecting against his stomach, his body being sent into the depths of the forest, trees knocking over as he hurled backward._

 _Miyuki teleported behind Orochimaru, his eyes widening with surprise as her shin connected with the side of his body, sending him sideways into another set of trees. He had managed to block, just barely, the blow less aggressive as it could have been. He had completely underestimated her control level- She was getting to have more of it. He wanted to see the real Miyuki, though. The full package. Miyuki landed, sliding backwards a few feet as he landed into the side of the cliff, grunting as he fell to the ground for a moment. She teleported closer as he slowly stood up, his legs forming into a tail as he started to become his snake form. "Perhaps" he hissed, his skin cracking as her chakra became more intense, compressing once more. "I'll get rid of Itachi next. Save you the disappointment of that relationship as well." Miyuki snarled, her eyes becoming fully red, tattoo fully visible on her body. She teleported to him, grabbing the collar of his kimono. His tail whipped around to hit her from behind; completely breaking as it connected to her chakra barrier. His lips formed a smile, his breathing labored as her skin became a deep purple, her final form finally showing._

 _Itachi's eyes widened as he stopped in a high branch, his eyes focused on the demon that had Orochimaru in its grasp. He drew in a deep breath when he recognized the clothes it had on. This wasn't a demon-this was her. This was Miyuki. Was this what Orochimaru was after? Was this why Danzo was so interested in her this whole time? He couldn't even recognize her chakra levels. These were more powerful than any he had ever seen-even when the nine-tails had attacked the village. How could she hide such a thing for this amount of time?_

 _Miyuki's lips cracked a smile, her eyes narrowing to Orochimaru. "_ _ **You let me come out, huh? You surprise me, snake boy**_ _." Miyuki's other half stared at Orochimaru, grip tightening as she lifted her left hand, palm up to extend her claws out more "_ _ **It's good to be out again. I haven't been out since-well, our last encounter. I'm surprised you came back.**_ _"_

 _Orochimaru gasped, losing his ability to breath slowly. "I couldn't resist."_

" _ **Mmn..**_ _" Miyuki's lips curled into a smile, "_ _ **Neither can I.**_ _" She spread her claws out, shoving them into his stomach. Orochimaru gasped, his eyes widening as he looked down to her arm, barely visible from inside of his abdomen. He sputtered as she pulled her claw out, throwing his body to the side. "_ _ **What a bore.**_ _"_

 _She sighed, shaking her claw to get rid of the blood. "Ew. Human blood._ _ **Not even worth it. How do you even live in this world? It's so boring here, Miyuki.**_ _" She tsked, hearing Miyuki yell in the back of her head. Damnit… Even with the curse mark gone, Orochimaru had gotten in her head._

 _The demon sniffed the air, turning to look at the tree behind her. She stared at the shadowed branch, watching it. "_ _ **You. You're next.**_ _" The demon laughed, watching the two sharingan emerge from the tree's shadow._

 _This was the power Orochimaru had been seeking? Miyuki had this- thing inside of her all this time. It was a no wonder he was drawn to her so much. Orochimaru was drawn to power- and this, damn well, had power._

" _I am Itachi Uchiha" He replied calmly, studying the demon as he leapt from the branch, landing effortlessly on the ground. He watched as one eye formed back to blue, her face slowly changing from demon to human. So, Miyuki was fighting this thing, somewhere in there. His hand had rested on his sword's hilt, staring at her._

" _Please run, Itachi." His mask fell next to him, dropping it as he walked towards the demon. Miyuki wanted to scream at him. He needed to listen to her._

" _I said leave! I don't want to hurt you!" He watched her claws, slowly retracting as he neared her. Did he have this effect on her?_

" _Then don't, Miyuki. Fight it." Itachi still walked forward, watching as her eyes became void._

 _The demon lunged forward, her claw raised as Itachi walked, still, towards her. He could feel the chakra becoming less ominous. It's black eyes fading. He moved his head to the side, a clawed hand barely missing his face. He could feel the scratch it had left behind; she barely missed, but he knew it was an averted attack at the last minute. She had control. He moved his foot to the side, bending his knee as it connected to the demon's stomach. He heard a grunt, the demon spinning around, claw outstretched as it went for his face once more._

 _Itachi's eyes met hers, sharingan activated as he was pulled into her mind. His plan had worked. He wanted to get close enough that he could immobilize her. The demon paused in mid defense, growling lowly._

 _He watched her sit on the floor of her mind, her head bowed. He kneeled in front of her, her eyes growing wide as his hand touched her cheek, lifting her chin with his fingers. Their gaze met, his lips playing a smile as he leaned his head forward, pressing his forehead against her own. He heard her gasp quietly, his eyes closing as he whispered, "Come back."_

 _He watched her eyes form back to their regular state, her body trembling as she lost her fangs, claws retracting. He grabbed her arm as she collapsed, letting her body slowly fall onto the ground. He could feel Orochimaru's chakra replenishing._

" _Leave now, and I will let you live. If you bother her again, I will be the one to kill you." Itachi looked over to him, his stare more menacing than anything else. Orochimaru crept from behind a tree, eyeing his other body before disappearing._

 _This would be incredibly hard to explain to Danzo. Would he mention Miyuki's secret? Did Danzo already know? Itachi stared at Miyuki, her breathing becoming steady. No, he wouldn't. She wasn't a danger. This was Orochimaru's doing. He lifted Miyuki onto his shoulder, leaving the clearing. He would have to come up with a lie for this one._

 _Miyuki woke up abruptly, lifting herself to sit up. She grabbed her head as it pulsated, feeling like her skull was cracking in half. She looked around, her gaze falling on the campfire that had been built in front of her. Where was she? She could feel the guilt hit her. Aruki was dead because of her, everyone in their team was. She let her other half take the reins, and once again she had hurt people. She let her head fall into the palms of her hands, more upset with herself than anything else._

" _Sleep well?" Itachi asked, looking over at her._

 _Miyuki flinched, startled by the fact he was literally right next to her, one knee propping his arm up. His eyes had left their sharingan state, black as night. "It's not really sleep. It's more like staring into a void of darkness. But yes, I'm fine." She stared at the fire, "Anyone?" she asked quietly, and she felt his head shake._

" _I'm sorry. I really didn't expect any of this to happen. I should have known better than to Join Special ops. It was a mistake." She sighed, her hands moving to her sides as she looked up. "You should have killed me, you know? It would have saved you a lot of trouble."_

" _It wouldn't. It would just result in questions I would have to answer. I'm not telling anyone what happened tonight, Miyuki. "He shrugged, "A variation of it, with Orochimaru not being here and you not turning to-whatever that was." He stood up, walking to sit across from her. He sat down, placing his sword next to himself as he looked at her. "What was that, anyways? I've pieced together something of an explanation, but I would rather you explain it to me." He blinked as she lifted her shirt, stopping just below her breast. His thoughts had gone south for a minute, but he gathered himself once more, keeping composure. He stared at a seal tattoo, but this one was different. He had seen several seals, but this was more intricate than any he had seen. "This -" his finger reached out, sliding down the seal. His hand flinched away when the formula moved, reacting to his touch. The symbols circled around his finger, and he lifted his hand away, watching them move into his fingers, resting on his palm. The formula sunk into his skin, staring at it as it disappeared completely. He had read about this happening before, though he would have to look more into it. Itachi narrowed his eyes, more curious than confused, but nonetheless, confused._

" _My mother was human, but my father, he was a demon. I'm bred of the two. I can't control some of it." She pointed to the seal with her other hand, then let go of her shirt. "That thing you saw is just the true nature of me. This seals away my demon form, and amplifies my human side."_

" _So, you're like a Jinchuuriki?"." He asked, but she shook her head no._

" _A Jinchuuriki is something that has a spirit living inside of it. There isn't another being inside of me." She tried to grasp the words to explain it. "It's hard to explain. The seal suppresses the side of me that I can't control, and lets me pull from that power. If things get too out of hand, though, I'll become that power completely, and my demon side can take over. It's me either way, just the ruthless, killing machine side of me. Miyuki watched the fire, listening to it crackle in the night. "When my mother was alive, she brought me here. Orochimaru had given me the curse mark. Minato had helped by sealing away part of me and destroying the curse mark. He said it was so that I could function normal-" Miyuki motioned air quotes at that phrase. She wouldn't ever be normal._

" _Is that Why you never do hand seals in battle? In class, you always did them, but on the battlefield, you don't. I assumed you were just fast at them- but" he motioned to his eyes, "now I know that isn't the case." He watched her nod, rubbing the back of her neck. "you have me figured out pretty well, huh? All those rumors about you can be pretty on point." She noticed he became uncomfortable for a moment, and her hands waved in front of her frantically. "i-I just mean the good parts. I don't believe any of the other stuff. People make up things when they feel threatened."_

 _Itachi's arms crossed, laughing lightly. "You think people are threatened by me?"_

 _Miyuki raised an eyebrow, "You don't? You became ANBU young, top of your class. And your dad basically considers you the Uchiha pride. We both know that everyone is threatened by you." Miyuki covered her mouth, coughing. She watched the blood run down her hand, and clenched her fist. Itachi grabbed it, staring at the blood on her hands._

" _Why are you coughing up blood?"_

" _It can take a toll. My body isn't used to the transformation anymore - it's nothing to worry about." She curled her lips into a smile, giving a light-hearted chuckle._

 _He sighed heavily, making up his mind as he stared at her. "Your secret is safe with me, Kunoichi. If it helps, no one would ever guess that you aren't human. You act enough like one." He grinned, getting up from the ground. "But you would make a great sparring partner. That's a lot of stamina you have." Miyuki shrugged, and Itachi adjusted his shirt as he brushed himself off._

" _Yeah, goes great with the lack of personal life I'll always have" she blew a raspberry, looking over at a confused Itachi. "My darker side is only suppressed for so long. Seals wear off over time. My nature is demon, I just want to have the human. I can't really have a personal relationship. There are too many variables for me. I don't want to have to deal with that, ever." She looked to the ground as she thought about it, and Itachi realized the truth of the matter._

" _Your mother isn't alive, is she?" Miyuki grew silent, her hands idly rubbing the back of her neck, "No."_

 _He stopped her, turning her to face him. "You're human too, Miyuki. Remember that." He reached his hand out to her, and she stared at it. He waved it toward himself, indicating he wanted her to take it. "Come on, let's head back." she placed her hand in his, and could feel her heart inside of her head. He pulled her up, his arm wrapping around her when she lost her balance. She blinked, catching her footing and looking up, his eyes inches from her own. She froze in that moment, wind blowing their hair away as they stared at each other. She could feel her cheeks grow warm with his gaze. His eyes stared into hers, his fingers against the small of her back. She could feel her heartbeat quickening as she placed her hand on his chest, "Sorry, standing is hard, I guess." She gave a nervous chuckle._

 _Itachi could feel a grin pass his lips, his hand reaching up to press against her cheek. He could feel her body tense, her eyes flashing to red once again as he leaned in closer to her._

 _She was falling for this Uchiha._


	3. A long time coming

It had taken her over a year to recover from bringing Itachi fully to life. It was a hell of a year, too. She could barely control herself. It had taken everything she had in her. The seal was almost completely useless at this point, only keeping the demon away on good days. She had wished Minato was still alive. He had given her the previous seals, but since his death, she has had to depend on Mesame. She wasn't nearly as powerful, but still worked. The only issue with Mesame was that she was a wanderer. It took her six months just to locate her for help saving him.

"Why did you leave him?"

She frowned, "Leave him? I wouldn't call it that, really." her arms crossed in front of her chest, a slight annoyance on her face.

"What would you call it? You brought him back to life, then left, literally disappeared. He hasn't been stationary since he healed. He is looking for you, Miyuki."

"Damnit. Couldn't you reel him in? He's your brother. You could've said you wanted family time or something! Why would he just, you know, listen to me? That's just crazy to do." She lifted her shirt, exposing the seal. It had become faded, barely visible to the eye. "I'm literally at the point of no return, Sasuke. I can't have him around me. I feel too much for him, you know?" She was being more rhetorical than anything else with that question. She was essentially talking to herself at this point, almost forgetful that Sasuke was standing there; awkwardly at this point.

"I'm not normal, Sasuke. I'm not good news." She emphasized the word normal, sighing as she dropped her shirt.

"Do you think that's going to stop him? He can figure this out. You shouldn't avoid him, you should get his help." Sasuke stopped in front of her, his hand resting on his hip. "If Itachi had any inkling of you not wanting to be near him, he would have stayed away. He can see the real you; you want to be with him." Sasuke had spoken more from his experience, than anything. He tried to avoid how he felt for years. Itachi was the one that pulled him back in. He was actually hell bent on destroying Konoha at one point.

Miyuki had become completely flustered at this point, her arms crossing as she tapped her finger on her arm. What was with Uchiha men and telling people what to do? Even if it was for their own safety, they were against it. Their voices always had that arrogant tone in them. "Regardless of what I want, Sasuke, there is reality. I'm a waste of time." Dear god, Miyuki thought, He was literally a younger Itachi. "You sound like your brother, you know that? He was always so decisive about everything. Stubborn as well. It must be some kind of Uchiha trait, really."

"Waste?"

And there he was again, in her head. She could feel her heart swell up, almost to the brim.

"Miyuki."

Miyuki's heart skipped a beat, hearing the deep voice- not in her head, but behind her. The voice that made her legs weak and her heart tremble. Miyuki could feel it bubbling inside of her- Her demon. Emotions made her lose the control. She had to be completely void right now. This was playing with fire; being between these two.

She could feel Itachi's teleportation jutsu release as his chakra moved towards her. She leaped back, but he was already behind her, his hand grabbing hers before She could move away. His voice saying her name made her completely numb inside. She could feel the lump form in her chest as his skin touched her. Her eyes closed as she looked away, feeling his eyes burning into her. Her heartbeat quickened, butterflies roaming in the pit of her stomach. "Look at me, Miyuki." She hesitated, her eyes closing for a moment, then turned her head to him,opening them. She could see him react, even if on a minuscule scale. She could feel his hands tense up momentarily. He stared into her left eye, blood red.

"Why is this happening?" He asked, his hand coming up to touch her cheek as he inspected it. The genuine concern in his face made her heart sink. She had missed him so much, it was hard to even breath the same air as him. She peered at Sasuke next to her, and sighed. They were obviously planning on not letting her leave.

"That's not important." She lifted her hand, releasing a slow breath as she moved his away from her face. "You need to be away from-"

She froze, her eyes widening as she looked before her.

 _You.._

She stared at a reflection of herself, eyes blood red, slits replacing her pupils. It's skin was a deep purple; hands formed into claws and fangs replacing her teeth. She was in her mind again. It had come to this point.

"Leave." was all that she could manage, feeling her body slowly release from her own control.

"Miyuki?" Itachi said, feeling her body go limp, he grabbed her shoulders, holding her body up as her eyes closed. He could feel chakra seeping out her, but it wasn't hers: this was ominous. "Miyuki." He said again, this time more sternly. He could feel her body become stiff, her fingers twitching as her chakra increased. He watched her hair fade to black, her cheeks becoming tattooed with small, jagged marks as her eyes opened. Her other eye slowly became red, pupils dilating into slits as her head lifted. Her body's skin darkened, becoming violet in color and two small, spike-like bumps starting to protrude from her head; horns. He could feel the movement in her hands, lifting and grabbing his side, claws digging into his flesh as she slowly began to fade. He grimaced for a moment, watching her body become engulfed by the chakra of this demon. He watched as her right hand released, hand touching against Sasuke's side as his body vanished.

Sasuke stared into a forest, confusion overcoming him. Had she just teleported him without any jutsu? "Huh." He activated his Rasengan, searching for the two.

"It's about time! You always keeps me locked up in there."

Itachi's eyes narrowed as he teleported away from the demon.

Miyuki laughed, claws outstretched as she tsked to Itachi. "Why must everyone want to keep us hidden? If these little hybrids embraced their demon side, they could control this world - But, alas. Instead they keep us sealed away." Miyuki frowned sarcastically, head tilting to the side as she looked Itachi over. "All for some guy. She couldn't stand knowing her little Itachi would die." Her lips parted slowly, tongue running across them. "You are cute, though. I'll give you that."

Miyuki stretched, yawning sarcastically "Now then, I'll just get rid of you and she'll be so distraught I can just take over completely. Doesn't that sound like a great plan?" Miyuki stepped forward, the air becoming thick around her, the ground breaking beneath her feet. Itachi and Sasuke moved back farther, the earth giving way beneath them. He realized the amount of power she really had inside of her. The sheer force of will Miyuki had to contain this threat was amazing. She had to spend her life keeping this thing at bay. Itachi moved farther away, the ground breaking beneath him as she walked forward. The air was thick with her chakra, murderous in intent.

"This can't be good." Sasuke noted, his hand resting on his blade. Itachi nodded, keeping his eyes on Miyuki. "She is in there, Sasuke. Don't hurt her." He watched Sasuke nod, sharingan forming in his eye, rasengan in the other.

Miyuki vanished, the earth throwing forward as her body formed above Itachi, her claw raised into a striking motion. He formed hand seals, then put his finger to his mouth, "Fire style-" He stopped, watching Miyuki stop mid-air, a startled growl coming from her lips.

No.

You're not strong enough. you have no say,now.

No.

Miyuki looked up at the demon, surrounded by darkness.

You will not touch him.

Itachi stared at Miyuki, watching her claw tremble, hand slowly changing from beast to human. The earth fell to the ground, air decreasing in thickness. Her chakra was waning between hers and the demon's.

He felt a tingling sensation, his gaze moving to his hand as he watched a formula run down his arm. The realization came to his mind after a long minute, recalling the day they had encountered Orochimaru.

"What are you going to do?" Sasuke asked, watching Itachi lift her shirt, exposing her seal-he caught a breath of surprise, seeing something barely visible as a seal. Itachi stared at her seal, then lifted his hand, staring from one to the other.

"An experiment" he replied, taking his hand and pressing his palm against her seal. He heard Miyuki gasp, her body trembling as his hand gave a faint glow. The seal darkened, the formula spreading through her body as she became her human self once more.

He looked to Miyuki, her eyes slowly turning back to their natural blue, then closing slowly. Her body fell forward, forehead pressing against his chest as he caught her within his arms. "Miyuki." He put his arms underneath her arms and legs, carrying her towards the village.

Sasuke stood beside Itachi, glancing over at Miyuki. "I wasn't aware you two were so close. I thought that you had a different girl as a lover."

He looked down at Miyuki, sighing, "Our father didn't approve of the relationship. He wanted me to marry an Uchiha. We had decided to not publicize our relationship." He grimaced, thinking back. He had always regretted that decision. He knew that she hated keeping their lives a secret, but, she didn't want to cause any issues for him in his clan. He honestly did that all on his own. He didn't care for the Uchiha clan's rules.

Miyuki had been sleeping for a few hours now, her temperature raising and lowering as time went by. He wasn't even sure how to tell if she was okay. HE assumed that no temperature meant she was okay. Sasuke had been pulled away to help Konoha. Sasuke had always asked when he planned on returning there, but Itachi always gave him the same answer.

"When I have a wife."

HE stared at Miyuki for a moment, her breathing steady. He walked around her home, looking over everything. She hadn't changed in her decorating habits - That being, she didn't have any. The most she had was her Shinobi gear in one corner, a backpack of clothes and supplies in another corner. Itachi stared at the picture sitting on her shelf, picking it up slowly and staring at it. It was them together before he left Konoha. They had their first date at the top of the Hokage's mountain, and she took their picture. She was wearing her headband to the side of her head, like him, giving a thumbs up and smiling as he kissed her cheek. He had caught her completely off guard when he did that, and her face was as red as a tomato in the photo because of it. He could feel himself smiling at the picture. "I can't believe you have this still."

"It's always been my favorite, you know that." She replied, her hand rubbing against her forehead. She could feel her head pounding against her skull. She watched him reach into his pocket, pulling out a folded up picture, opening it to show the same picture. "Mine as well."

"How did you two find me?"

Itachi set her picture down, turning towards her. "It wasn't hard for Sasuke to ask about you. They told us you come by here around this time." Itachi walked towards her, "You aren't capable of hiding all of your chakra right now, either. Being given the general time you'll be here, we staked out here."

"So you used Sasuke as a decoy?" She raised an eyebrow, laughing quietly. "Threw me off, i'll give you that. He looks just like you, you know. " She watched Itachi nod, seating himself next to her.

"Why didn't you tell me about your clan's past?" itachi had been doing his own research for the year he had been searching for her.

"It's not relevant. It's my clan's past, not mine. I'm not going to hold grudges for them. they're dead."

"You're the last of your kind?" He asked, looking over to her. She nodded, sighing, "Fortunately."

"Fortunately?" Itachi asked, stone-faced when she looked at him.

"I don't think I'm the kids type, Itachi."

"That'll change, Don't worry." He replied, grinning at her when she stared at him blankly. She let out an exasperated breath, shaking her head.

"I'm almost positive I had this conversation with you years ago." She felt different. It was almost as if her demon was dormant inside of her. She could feel her body in a neutral state, as if she had been suppressed. She lifted her shirt, looking at her seal. "what?"

Her seal had been mended.

He placed the back of his hand on her head, feeling her temperature. "You're less hot than before as well." She could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks, and closed her eyes for a minute.

"It's like you're sixteen again." Itachi said, watching her cheek grow to become pink.

"Unfortunately, you have that effect on me."

"Not unfortunate at all." He said, the smile he gave reaching his eyes, and she could feel her heart leap for a minute. She felt sixteen in that minute.

She chuckled softly, looking over at him, "I'm sorry I disappeared on you, I am. I just didn't have control of myself, and it's not any easier with you around." she could feel his body shift slightly, getting closer to her.

"I left you first, you know. I can't hold it against you for doing that. When Sasuke and I had fought the first time, when he killed me, I realized how stupid my decisions were. I could have trusted more people and not shoved you both away. I let Sasuke think I was this monster of a person. I was more than willing and ready to accept that I would die for something like that. In reality, I hurt Sasuke more than any war could, same with you. I hope you can forgive me." His arm wrapped around her shoulder, his lips pressing against her temple. She closed her eyes, sighing heavily as she leaned her head against his body. "You could have told me, though." Itachi added, his fingers moving her hair behind her ear. "I could have helped in some way."

"I wasn't about to ask you to babysit my demon side, Itachi. It was easier just to not have to deal with any emotions." She looked over at him, watching a frown tugging at the corner of his lip. He focused his gaze on hers. "I realized, the other day, when you were fighting off your-" He paused, finding the right word, "Other half"

"Realized what?" Miyuki stared at him quizzically, blinking.

"I'd never actually realized before how much of a different being your demon half was."

"She's basically another person inside of me. Just, stronger now. There's less human to me, so she has more control. I can suppress her pretty well, but it's gotten gradually more difficult as time has passed. I just need to find my father and get his help." which he will not agree to..

"Is it simple?"

"Not at all. My father will probably try to force out my demon. My mother was a beautiful woman, and he was handsome as well. He generally despises humans, due to the nature of how they try to take the power from them. Somehow, though, my mother was different for him. I guess you can't control who you fall in love with."

Itachi wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him as he placed his fingers under her chin, feeling her body tense for a moment. He cupped her chin in his hand, pressing his mouth against hers. He could feel her body loosen, her eyes closing as she fell into it. Itachi could feel his heart leap, his mind melting at the touch of her lips. He hadn't felt this way since their last day together. It was amazing he could feel the same way as then. His arm moved from her waist, her hands cupping his face as she fell to the bed, itachi moving above her. He released the kiss, his eyes opening slowly as he looked down at her. Her cheeks had become flush, her heart beating against his chest rapidly. His mind took him back to when they were younger: Innocent. His hand came to touch her cheek, her eyes opening and he stared into them, watching the color navigate between the blue of hers and the demon's black. He couldn't believe he had such an effect on her. "Are you… okay?" He asked, moving his head back slightly to look at her. Her tattoo had started to spread over her neck, her hair fading from its color. She blinked for a moment, then looked at her hands as her nails grew slightly.

"Oh god! Sorry! I didn't even realize this was happening! I don't understand this effect that you have on me, this is outrageous."

How embarrassing!

"I didn't tell you this when we were together before, but sometimes, when we slept together, your eyes would manipulate like that." He looked down at her, grinning. "They would always change back."

Miyuki's hands covered her face, breathing in. "I feel like that is something you would tell a person." He moved her hand away, giving her a shrug.

"I didn't have any reason to think there was something wrong. You seem perfectly content with the situation." He moved her other hand to the side, his face leaning down to hers once more, pressing his lips against hers. She spoke softly, "where's your brother?"

"He left. It's just us now." Itachi's hands idly moved down her thigh.

She could feel her body reacting, her heartbeat quickening. "I don't know if this is a good idea. What if something happen-" She was cut off, Itachi pressing his lips against hers once more. "It doesn't matter" He breathed, his hand sliding up her inner thigh as she fell for him once more.


	4. Meet the parents

"Why don't you come meet them?" Itachi asked, his back against the trunk of a tree as she laid her head across one of his legs, the other was bent at the knee as he rested his right elbow on it.

"It seems like it never rains here-what?" she blinked for a second, comprehending his sentence. "Meet them?" She was thrown off by the question, turning her head to the left to look up at him, one eye opened. His fingers were currently running through her thick brown hair, letting it fall between his fingers as he thought silently. "I don't think your dad will like me. I'm not an Uchiha," she said, almost mockingly.

"My clan doesn't define me, Miyuki. I don't care if you're an Uchiha. I want you to meet them." He looked down at her, reaching her gaze as he smiled. She shook her head silently, covering her face as she sighed heavily. "I've met Sasuke already... but fine," she peeked at him between two fingers, watching him smirk. "Don't you dare leave me alone with your father."

"What if I have to go to the bathroom?" He mused, one eye closing to form a wink.

"You hold it forever, then." She could feel the rumble in his chest as he laughed, his fingers running through her hair once more. His smirk faded, however, thinking about the possible scenarios. Could this go wrong? Was it a mistake? Father would always speak about Izumi to Itachi. The higher Uchiha clan didn't recognize her, but she was still an Uchiha. He knew his preference for her over a non-clan member. Miyuki would always act like Izumi's crush didn't bother her, but he could always tell that it did to some degree. As much as he had tried to push her away, she was stuck on him. It was more annoying than anything.

"We should spar again. I'm ninety percent sure that the last match was a fluke."

Itachi stared down to her, watching a smirk pass her lips. "Miyuki. I feel as if being beat 7 out of 9 times stops becoming a fluke at some point."

"Nah."

He shook his head, lifting her head from his lap.

Miyuki stared at the gates to the Uchiha house, nervously placing her hands behind her back. Her entire body wanted her to walk away from this idea. This stupid, stupid idea. Itachi had decided he wanted her to meet his parents. It was absurd to do. Even Shisui told him it wasn't the best decision. She wasn't an Uchiha; point blank. The whole point to them keeping their relationship a secret was not to piss off his dad. Itachi was such a stubborn person. She sighed heavily, her hands shoving into her pockets. She watched as his head poked into view from his window, her heartbeat quickening as a grin played on his lips when he met her gaze. She moved her hands behind her back, watching his face disappear from view as Sasuke's poked up for a minute, then went as well.

He had walked downstairs quickly, Sasuke trailing behind him as he stopped at the door, putting on his sandals, then looking to his mother.

"I'm having a friend over tonight, mother. Can you set the table for one more?" Itachi asked, watching Sasuke get his sandals on. Mikado looked over at him, surprised for a moment, but then smiled softly.

"Of course. Who is this mystery guest?"

"Miyuki, from special ops."

"Oh, I see." He could see the inquisition in her face, what she wanted to ask him. He shied away from the question, excusing himself from the conversation as a light tapping sounded. He rubbed the top of Sasuke's head as he walked towards it, sliding the door open as he felt his lips tug at a smile. He stepped out, sliding the door shut behind him."Are you wearing a dress?" He asked, bemused by her change of wardrobe. She had gone out and got a dress. It was a dark purple, flowing and pleated at the bottom. Almost like a summer dress, about knee length. He watched her cheeks tint red, her hands in the pockets of it.

"It's got pockets?" She said, more observational as she waved the skirt around. "I didn't want to show up in uniform. It seemed like it may be rude or something." She practically whispered the last part, embarrassment coming over her. She sighed when his fingers touched her cheek, looking up to see him smiling at her. "You look beautiful, Miyuki. Don't be nervous." Those onyx eyes stared into hers, and she could feel her heart beating a little faster.

"Nervous doesn't begin to cover how I am feeling." The door slid open, Sasuke stepping out and standing next to Itachi. He and Miyuki stared each other, and he ran to wrap his arms around one of her legs, hugging her.

"Miyuki! Where have you been?" Sasuke asked, closing one eye as she ruffled his hair with one hand. He smiled up at her, grabbing her hand with his and pulling her.

"I had a mission, Sasuke. Sorry!" She laughed lightly, her left hand rubbing the back of her neck as Sasuke led her inside the house. She had gotten back from a two-week 'mission,' which was one week of mission and another of conditioning with Jiraiya. She had almost lost herself during their last mission. If it hadn't been for Itachi's presence to reel her back, she would have completely lost control. She still didn't know why he could keep her reserved. Just his presence made her feel more in control. Jiraiya was a big help, too, even though he rarely came near Konoha.

She let Sasuke pull her into the house when Itachi slid open the door. "I always hate it when you both go on missions. Brother always says he'll practice with me, then leaves again." Sasuke's voice became pouty, stopping to let her take off her shoes. She slid them off, donning slippers instead of her usual sandals, then walked with the two brothers towards the kitchen. The air was thick with the smell of rice, salmon, and seasonings. She stopped when they reached the kitchen, Mikado standing over the stove. Itachi shifted to the left, giving Miyuki his mother's field of vision. She smiled at Miyuki, stirring the boiling pot.

"Hello! You must be Miyuki!"

Miyuki was caught off guard for a minute but bowed as she nodded. "It's nice to meet you!"

"Oh, thank you," Mikado responded, her lips pursed for a moment as she bowed.

"COME PLAY Miyuki!"

She blinked as Sasuke yelled at her, his finger pointing at her. It had caught the attention of everyone. She laughed, nervous, as she rubbed the back of her neck, looking at Mikado. "Sorry."

"It's okay! He likes seeing you." They both laughed nervously, Sasuke's cheeks tinting for a moment. Itachi's hand ruffled Sasuke's hair, looking down to him as he pried it away, huffing.

"So you're in ANBU as well?" Fugaku asked, chopsticks in hand as he studied Miyuki. She blinked at the question, then nodded, her hands coming to rub the back of her neck.

"Yes. A few years, now, I believe." She had looked over to Itachi as she spoke, him giving the nod as confirmation.

He set down his chopsticks, picking up his drink and taking a sip. "I see. You must have exceptional strength and ability, then."

Miyuki had been seated next to Itachi and looked over at him for a moment before responding. She had moved her hands to her lap, feeling his dad's gaze falling on her once more. "I would hope so." Yes. Be coy. Very nice. She thought about her answers before speaking them. She didn't want anything to come out wrong.

Fugako looked from Itachi to Miyuki, "Itachi was beyond exceptional. He is the youngest ANBU member. He's the Uchiha pride." She could tell the slight brag in his tone as he spoke of Itachi. She understood the need. Why wouldn't you brag about a top shinobi as a son? Itachi seemed to feel differently, though, his fists clenched quietly under the table as he listened to his father. Miyuki sighed in the back of her mind. "Well, Itachi has always been extraordinary to me." Miyuki looked over to Itachi as he looked up, watching a smile creep to the corner of his lip, his fist loosening shortly after.

"That is so sweet of you to say, dear." Mikado smiled warmly, excusing herself from the table with some of her dishes.

"It'll be especially great when he settles down and marries. Keep the Uchiha bloodline strong." Fugaku looked over to Itachi this time, his gaze narrowing somewhat. "You should try to talk and be more approachable, Itachi. It's a wonder Izumi has interest in you."

Miyuki could feel the sting in her chest at the mention of that girl's name. She was always this problem for Miyuki.

"I'm not interested in her, father, We have talked about this previously." Itachi's voice echoed some annoyance, Miyuki's position shifting slightly at the awkwardness of it all.

"She's an Uchiha. While she isn't recognized as our equal, she is still one."

She listened as Itachi took a deep breath, his annoyance growing more thin with each second. She watched his fist clenched once more as he went to speak.

"I am so sorry!" Miyuki yelled, "I completely forgot I had to meet with someone! Please excuse me!" She gave her warmest smile, her hands pressing against the table as she stood up, bowling lowly. "Please forgive me!" Itachi could see the change in her eyes as if she had become defeated at that moment. She was hurt. Itachi could feel the anger rising in him slightly, his hand pressing against the table as the door to their home shut. He stood up, his gaze falling to Fukagu.

"I have no interest in Izumi." He excused himself from the table as Mikado walked back into the room, confusion on her face as he walked to the door.

"Itachi?" She asked questioningly, the slam of the door the only answer as she stared at her husband.

Itachi grunted when he heard his father call his name, the night creeping into the sky slowly. He stopped momentarily, turning to face his father.

"Do you understand what she is, Itachi?" Itachi's eyes had grown large at the question. How could his father possibly know that information?

"She won't hurt anyone."

"I was there the day we brought her to Konoha, Itachi. She had massacred an entire village before she came here. Are you willing to accept that? She is a monster." Fugaku's voice had hardened, his eyes narrowed at Itachi, studying him.

"Yes. I am."

What had she expected would happen? Miyuki stared at the lake outside of her window, perched on the windowsill as she sighed heavily. She watched her nails extend out slightly, her feelings meshing with her inner demon as she thought about Itachi and Izumi together. It was logical to keep the bloodline going with another Uchiha. The Uchiha name was old. Their pride was on the line whenever someone strayed from the clan. She would do more harm than good when it came to kids. She couldn't imagine the Uchiha Kekkei-Genkai winning against her bloodline. She wasn't even sure if a demon could get a Kekkei-Genkai. She felt the tears well up in her eyes once more and wiped them away with the back of her hand, pulling herself back into her room as she sighed heavily. That had been one of the top five- no, three- worst dinners she has had. She looked over to the direction of her bathroom as she sat on her bed, watching her hair slowly grow an inch more in the mirror. "He's right, though. I barely fit into this village. I'm just some orphan half-breed." She didn't deserve someone like Itachi. His heart was pure. He was the most selfless person she had ever met. Deep inside, she was just a monster.

She sat still for a moment when she heard her name from the window. She looked over to see Itachi perched inside of it. He was such a quiet person-great at recon missions because of it. His arms anchored against the sides of the window, pulling himself into the room as he shut it behind him. He moved to sit next to her, turning her body with his so they both sat cross-legged at the foot of the bed.

"That was a quick exit." He said, his gaze focusing on her as she looked up to him. She could feel her shoulders shrug absently, her body sunken. "I didn't want you to say anything you would regret. It seemed like a better idea for me to leave."

His hands rested on her knees, pulling her closer to him as he sighed. "I'm sorry for my father's behavior."

"Don't be. The reasoning isn't completely unfounded."

Itachi let a small grin play on his face, nodding quietly. "It does seem that way. I wasn't aware he knew so much about you." His mind was racking with his talk with his father. Fugaku had told him the history of the Uchiha and her kind.

"Uchihas have always had strange ways about them. I remember the stories Mesame used to tell about the Uchiha clan. She always blamed your clan for the downfall of our kind." Miyuki waved her hand when Itachi's face became more concentrated; like he felt guilty for his clan. "I don't blame anyone, though. War makes people do terrible things. There are dark days to come before then, though." She had dreamed of the fates that lie ahead of Itachi. He would have to do something that even she wouldn't have the strength to do. She watched as his face became blank, glossing over with turmoil.

"What are you thinking about?" She asked quietly. She could tell when he was deep in thought. His brow would furrow, and his finger would manage to come underneath his chin. His eyes would narrow ever so slightly as his expression becomes somewhat vacant. He had that face on the first time she had met him. It was very familiar too. Itachi was always in thought.

She watched Itachi's expression turn, contorted into something else. Contemplative; unsure. He had that on his mind for a few days now. After Shisui's death, probably. She lifted her hand, holding his cheek in hers. His eyes gazed into hers, and she attempted to assure him of his decision with a smile. "If it didn't need to be, you wouldn't do it, Itachi." She could hear a surprised breath escape his lips. "I know you can't tell me some things, but that doesn't stop me from seeing them. If you need to do something like that- I wouldn't want you to- but I would understand if you did." She turned her head to the side, giving him a faint smile. "I know what is important to you." She could feel the heartbreak for a minute, thinking about the inevitable day he would leave her. She had seen it coming well over a year ago. She couldn't stop him. No one could. No, she wouldn't stop him.

"When?" She asked, her voice breaking ever so slightly at the idea.

"Soon," was his only answer, his eyes coming to meet hers once more.

"Do you have a plan for after?" She asked, her legs stretching out as she laid back on her bed. He gave a faint nod, looking down at her as she placed the back of her arm against her forehead to cover her eyes.

"There is a group called the Akatsuki. Their leader is going to take me as a member."

"Isn't Orochimaru a part of that group?" She could feel her skin peel at his name. That creep.

"Yes. Unfortunately." He watched her stick her tongue out at the idea of being around him. "He'll be easier for me to watch."

"You worry about yourself when it comes to the Akatsuki. I'll be okay on my own."

She could feel his next question. It was sitting at the tip of his tongue, waiting for him to ask it. She could feel his demeanor shift in that small moment, his breath holding at the back of his throat. She stared at her hand as it covered her face, nodding silently. "I'll keep an eye on him. I can't make promises, but I'll do what I can. There's going to be a lot of hatred in that boy for you. Are you sure you're okay with that?"

She could feel him resting on the bed as he laid beside her. "Whatever happens Miyuki, I am glad that you were here beforehand. It almost makes it easier, knowing I wasn't completely alone this whole time." She could feel his lips pressed against her forehead, and grinned.

"Yeah, sorry we can't ride into adulthood together."

She could feel his body move, his fingers lacing around her hand and pulling it away from her eyes. Miyuki could feel the heat in her cheeks as he leaned his head down, lips pressing against hers. A smirk played on his face as he pulled away, looking down to her. "Just wait for me, then." The only thing she could manage was a nod at that moment, those onyx orbs pulling her more in love with him.


End file.
